PPH SOUTHWEST REGION

SERVICE AREA: SAN DIEGO, CA AND BAY AREA, CA

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

SAN DIEGO, CA

Phone

(858) 779-2404

Hours

M-F 9am to 5pm

Location

1022 W. Morena BLVD

Suite H,

San Diego, CA 92110

 

Serving the Southwest Region since 2016.

Our Southwest Region is headquartered in San Diego, CA, famous for its vibrant military community. The perfect location for Paws for Purple Hearts (PPH), it is home to Naval Base San Diego, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, plus several additional military facilities and famous museums celebrating military history like the USS Midway aircraft carrier museum. Started in the home of two of our trainers with just two dogs, it has since transformed into a bustling site in Sorrento Valley.

We are proud to provide Canine-Assisted Warrior Therapy® (CAWT), which can help reduce the symptoms of PTSD and TBI through structured, positive interaction with our service dogs in training.  We provide this life-changing therapy to Veterans and Active Duty Service Members in San Diego and Los Angeles area VA facilities. We also visit several local private Veteran service organization facilities where our wonderful dogs provide social therapy to Warriors on the road to recovery.

TIMELINE

  • 2016: Commenced operations in Southern California.

  • 2017: Began CAWT programs at Long Beach VA and San Diego VA, and began social therapy program at Veterans Village of San Diego.

  • 2018: Opened state of the art facility; commenced CAWT at Wounded Warrior Battalion – West, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA.

  • 2019: Started Warrior pet dog obedience training and adopted two guinea pigs to join the team as part of the training experience for the dogs.

  • 2020: During the COVID pandemic, conducted Facebook Live to interact with the Warriors.

  • 2021: Hosted our first Service Dog Graduation; #pphDrew, trained by Selah, was placed as a Service Dog; began CAWT program at Veterans Justice Outreach in Orange County.

To volunteer at our San Diego, CA site click the button and fill out the volunteer application.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Click on a photo in the calendar to see details of that event.

You can also visit our Amazon Wishlist to purchase a needed product like these:

Choose Paws for Purple Hearts’ Gift Registry Address in the list of shipping addresses when checking out.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

SEE PICTURES OF THE IMPORTANT WORK (AND ADVENTUROUS LIVES)

OF OUR SAN DIEGO SERVICE-DOGS-IN-TRAINING

Another hard week of work comes to a close and another weekend of rest and relaxation begins! Ulmer is ready for some well deserved naps and play time with his fur-iends! #PawsForPurpleHearts #Nonprofit #ServiceDogInTraining #WeekendVibes #Veterans
Hold on tight, Linda is here to get you over #HumpDay 🐶 #PawsForPurpleHearts #Nonprofit #ServiceDogInTraining #Veterans #Military #Dogs #DogsOfInstagram #WarriorsHelpingWarriors #SanAntonio #Texas #pphLinda
We are at the South Texas VA Mental Health Community Open House today! We will be here from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, so if you’re in the De Zavala area, stop on by and say hello! #PawsForPurpleHearts #ServiceDogInTraining #Nonprofit #Military #Vet
Ulmer says Saturdays are for snuggles and belly rubs 🐾 Could you resist saying "no" to this sweet face? #PawsForPurpleHearts #Nonprofit #ServiceDogInTraining #WeekendVibes #Veterans #Military #Dogs #DogsOfInstagram #Puppy #WarriorsHelpi
🗓 Grab your calendars and mark them! 🗓 We are 3.5 weeks away from The Big Give! The Big Give is a 24-hour online giving day that helps connect South Central nonprofit organizations with new and existing donors. We are asking for your help to reach
It's a PAW-ty today because it's Penn's birthday! 🎂🥳 Happy birthday to this sweet boy as he is officially two years old today! We hope his day is filled with all the treats, toys, and belly rubs this good boy could ever ask for! #PawsForPurpleH
Timoteo is here to remind you to stay cool in this hot weather! ☀️ Here are some tips to keep your pet cool in the heat: 1) Be sure to give your furry friend plenty of water to keep them hydrated. 2) Ensure your pet has ample amounts of shade when o
Bring your A-game, form your dream team, and let's see who can claim the title of Cornhole Champion! We are just FOUR WEEKS AWAY from kicking off The Big Give with our Cornhole for a Cause tournament! Mark your calendars for September 18th and gath
Thank you to @chickennpicklesat for your partnership and donation for the July Community Cup! We are so grateful for your support and dedication to helping organizations like ours. Thank you and we look forward to future partnerships with you! #Paw
#SunsOutTonguesOut brought to you by Ulmer 😛🐶🐾 #PawsForPurpleHearts #Nonprofit #ServiceDogInTraining #Veterans #Military #Dogs #DogsOfInstagram #Puppy #WarriorsHelpingWarriors #SanAntonio #Texas #pphUlmer

To contact our San Diego, CA site fill out the form.

TESTIMONIALS AND QUOTES

  • “When I was working with Paul (dog), I stayed calm and was less irritable and more focused and open to treatment at Menlo Park VA.” -

    -Kawika

  • “The dog Leif helped me with my self-esteem. People noticed a difference in when I had her and I’m grateful to Sandra for letting me be a part of this training.”

    -Tim

  • “I looked at this program as a privilege and honor to be a small part of a dog’s life and knowing I was helping a fellow Vet.”

    -Frank

  • “Many of our Veterans report that the dogs help them ‘get out of their own head’ and be more present.”

    -Caroline Wyman

  • “These dogs can really sense your mood. They know when you’re having a bad day. They give you companionship without judgment. Ibarra (dog) doesn’t need to know why I have the symptoms I have. He just wants to be with me.”

    -John Crofut

  • “The Paws for Purple Hearts program gave me a renewed sense of purpose. I was “giving back” and helping another Vet who was not expecting anything in return. It helped me with anger, self-esteem and survival guilt.”

    -John

  • “The program gave me a sense of responsibility and helped me lower my isolation.”

    -Dennis

  • “The comfort of the service dogs distracts from negative thoughts.”

    -Nick

  • “The training helps me lower my stress level and blood pressure. The comfort I get from the dogs far out weighs the thoughts of suicide. Not one negative thought has entered by mind since I started training with the dogs.”

    -John

  • “Working with the dogs gives me peace of mind and helps me control my anxiety issues so I can lead a more productive life.”

    -Monty

  • “Learning to be more patient and understanding. How dogs think helps me improve on trying to understand others.”

    -Jeff

  • Our PPH facility dog's impact has been substantial. The fact of the matter is that he boosts moral for the employees, keeps us sane, and the clients love working with him.

    -Mental Health Employee

  • There's only one word for my PPH dog Ollie: Priceless!

    -Rob S, a PPH Service Dog Recipient

  • PPH was the best therapy for my husband and it brought him closer to me and our daughter.

    -Wife of a PPH Participant

  • Ethan, a PPH dog, showed me there is love and happiness, outside of grief and despair.

    -A PPH Warrior Canine Trainer

  • Webb was so much help to me while I was recovering in the VA Menlo Park.... When both King and Webb came to visit, I was in heaven as I have two Bernese Mountain dogs that I hadn't seen in weeks.

    -Bill Dable

  • One of my treatment goals was to get better sleep. Having Lief let me feel safe, and I started sleeping better. She actually woke me from a nightmare, too... My anxiety level went down. I was not so hyper-vigilant when I had her.

    -Tim

  • The program helps not only the Veteran who receives the dog as theirs, but it also helps our healing process while we train them.

    -A PPH Veteran-trainer

ELIGIBILITY

Service Dogs

We place service dogs with Service Members and Veterans facing challenges such as:

– Mobility issues. Our dogs can help with tasks such as: retrieving items, pushing buttons for elevators and doors, turning lights on/off, plus many more.

– Diagnosed trauma-related conditions (PTSD or TBI). Our dogs help by performing a variety of tasks specifically designed to reduce symptom severity.

Through our thorough application process, our qualified staff determines if a PPH service dog will be a fit for your specific needs.

Facility Dogs

Facility dogs are placed with managers who work in care facilities that serve Service Members, Veterans, and/or military families. They are also placed with counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists (and other specialists) who serve military-connected individuals and wish to integrate a dog into their clients’ treatment plans. Facility dogs provide invaluable benefits to the populations they serve, but they do not meet the legal definition of a service dog and do not have public access rights outside of their assigned facility. Facilities must serve at least 50% of military-connected individuals to qualify. 

Our History

Paws for Purple Hearts is the first program of its kind to offer therapeutic intervention for Veterans and Active-Duty Military.

Canine-Assisted Warrior Therapy®

Under the guidance of PPH instructors, service members engage with specially bred Golden Retriever and Labrador puppies.

How the Program Works

Read more about how Canine-Assisted Warrior Therapy® helps ease a Warrior’s symptom severity through assisting PPH trainers with soothing, light-hearted contact with PPH puppies and dogs.

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT.

Donations to Paws for Purple Hearts can change a Warrior’s life from hopelessness to optimism.

Your generous, tax-deductible donation helps thousands of Warriors facing the visible and invisible wounds of war.  Our Canine Assisted Warrior Therapy helps them heal as they help others – all with the goal of raising top tier service dogs for Veterans and active duty Service Members with mobility and trauma challenges.